Florida 2021

Yes, we made it to Florida safe and sound I am excited for this week. We’ve been cooped up for so long and the boys really needed some rest and relaxation. I also really wanted to spend some time with them playing, talking, and catching up. They are growing up fast and this age is so awesome. I also plan on getting some fishing in and rekindling my love for it. I’ve spent so little time on the water that I am going to use the opportunity to try something completely different for once and fly fish for saltwater fish using a guide. More to come on that later.

Overall traveling during COVID is different. We go to far fewer places. We won’t be dining out during the week and will be taking all of our meals in the condo. That’s not a big deal because there’s a grill next to the pool and I plan on cooking up barbecue and grilling some boneless strips.

At least the pool is open. It was closed last year because of restrictions, or at least I heard, since we did not come down. The boys love swimming as much as the beach, maybe even moreso. As far as the beach goes, we’re going to try to build a massive sand castle. It’s something we’ve not really done but Teddy is so wrapped up in castles right now that we think he’ll enjoy it.

Out are also the side trips to the Tampa Zoo or Orlando. Instead we’ll just try really hard not to get sun burnt so we don’t need a day away from the beach. I have some heavy sunscreen and sun shirts that I’ll be utilizing this week. The first time I burnt the top of my feet purple and I plan on never doing that again.

We also have family traveling with us. We’ve not hardly seen them this last year so it will be nice to have them there with us and especially the boys. Knowing that they’ll never see my mom again I’m trying to keep them in front of as many family members as possible since you never really know anymore how much time you have on this earth.

I didn’t even bring my work computer, but I do have my phone just in case. I really need to unplug and relax. I started feeling the burnout right before I left and struggling to get things done. When that happens you need some time off so you can feel refreshed and appreciate your job that allows you to have paid time off and even think about what things you can do differently to be better at it. Most people try to compartmentalize that away but I cannot, I am always thinking about things. It is both a blessing and a curse.

I did bring a ton of stuff with me in case it rains. I have books on Java and chess, my Kindle, my tablet, my 3DS, and my personal laptop. What is interesting is I didn’t get to any of these things because we had such great weather that we stayed outside almost the entire time, and by the end of the day I was so tired I fell asleep before 9:00. The only move I watched was “Godzilla Versus King Kong” and I did that in two sittings since I was so tired. Being tired is a good thing though, it means you actually used your time wisely.

I can’t wait until 2022. This is probably our last year driving down though, my lower back can’t take it anymore. Not a big deal though if family comes because there will always be one person who will drive instead of flying either to save money or because they want the time to themselves. Although it is a long drive, it is a nice time to relax and listen to an audio book. I’ve done it before, it’s not bad.